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Design Standards

Table of Contents

Urban Design Guidelines & Standards Sections Adopted Date

Introduction, Review Authority


Purpose, Use of Standards, Review Authority ........................... March 97

Site Planning
Open Space, Setbacks, Building Orientation and Siting,
Pedestrian Circulation, Public Amenities ................................... March 97

Exterior Features
Emergency Access, Fire Protection System, Controlled Access
Security Gates, Refuse Storage, Fences and Walls, Lighting,
Sewer System, Site Grading, Drainage ........................................ March 97

Building Design, Architecture


Scale, Rhythm, Building Facade, Colors and Material, Windows
and Door Placement, Screening ................................................... March 97

Parking & Traffic Circulation


On-Site Roadways, On-Site Sidewalks, Minimum Access
Requirements ................................................................................. March 97
Driveway Design Criteria ............................................................. March 97
Surface Parking Design, Queuing, Internal Circulation,
Parking Structure Design ............................................................. March 97

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Design Standards
Introduction, Review Authority

Urban Design Guidelines & Standards Introduction


Purpose
The purpose of the Design Standards is to articulate community design
principles, guidelines and standards for development within the City of
Las Vegas in order to assist site planners and designers in understanding
the City’s minimum design criteria for on-site development. The intent is
to enhance the community’s overall value and appearance and to achieve
well-designed projects. Because it is recognized that design professionals,
including architects, landscape architects, and land planners, are trained to
strive for creative excellence, the design criteria established herein are not
intended to restrict creative solutions.
Because Las Vegas is a dynamic, fast growing city, it is expected that this
document will continue to evolve as the City refines its policies and ob-
jectives. Amendments will enable the Standards to be modified and im-
proved, based on Las Vegas’ actual experience of growth and citizens’ evolv-
ing concerns.

Use of Standards
This Design Standards will be used in reviewing projects for conformity
with the overall community design objectives and consistency with the
Las Vegas Municipal Code. The Standards are to be used in conjunction
with the laws, ordinances and development standards of the various City
departments and agencies. The information contained herein does not
negate the adopted laws and ordinances of the Las Vegas Municipal Code.
Where the general standards conflict with specific standards of other or-
dinances or codes, the specific standard will prevail.
In addition, adopted Planned Community and Planned Development Dis-
tricts identify unique areas in the City and contain specific design standards
which will be used in reviewing projects located within each of those dis-
tricts. With regard to any design issue which is addressed in both this De-
sign Standards and the Planned Community and Planned Development Dis-
tricts design standards, the standard of the individual districts will prevail.

Review Authority
Each proposed development will be reviewed by representatives of the Depart-
ment of Planning and Development, the Department of Public Works, the
Department of Fire Services, and any other department or agency as deter-
mined by the Director of the Department of Planning and Development. It is
PLANNING & the responsibility of the various department members to thoroughly review
DEVELOPMENT each building permit, Site Development Plan application, or other requests for
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development to ensure that the proposed development will meet the intent and
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purpose of the codes and regulations administered by that department and the
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Development Review Process.
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Design Standards
Site Planning

Urban Design Guidelines & Standards A site plan should provide for the interrelationship of all elements on the site
and the coordination of these elements with existing developments or natural
features found on adjacent sites. The design process should include consider-
ation of the impact on the City, the surrounding neighborhood, nearby streets,
and adjacent properties. A thorough analysis of on-site features and full recog-
nition of off-site factors which will influence the development are expected to
be reflected in each set of plans presented for review. In complex situations,
representatives of the City may request presentation of the site plan by the
applicant.

Open Space
Private and common open spaces are to be provided in Residential Planned
Development Districts and in multi-family residential developments. All
open space should be designed to be accessible and usable by occupants of
the development. Functional open space enhances circulation within a
site and contributes to the site’s aesthetic qualities.
Common areas should be accessible from all buildings and connected by
a comprehensive, on-site pedestrian circulation system. Public open space
recreation areas, plazas and courtyards should be located and landscaped
to take advantage of solar orientation, provide protection from prevailing
wind, and to afford summer shade and winter sunshine. Mechanical units
should be screened from view.
Private usable open space should be directly accessible from the indi-
vidual dwelling and be of such size as to offer a reasonable outdoor living
opportunity. The placement of air conditioning equipment should not
render private open space unusable.

Setbacks
Setbacks of buildings must conform to the setback standard required by
the zoning district where the development is located. Where buildings
affect sight lines at intersections of public and private streets, approval for
development must be obtained from the City’s Traffic Engineering Divi-
sion.

PLANNING &
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Building Orientation and Siting
Placement of the building in relation to the surrounding elements is just
as important as the design of the building. The proposed building orienta-
tion should respect the orientation of surrounding buildings, existing pe-
destrian paths and sidewalks, and the orientation of surrounding streets.
Rows of buildings which create a monotonous, “cookie-cutter” design is
discouraged.
The proposed building orientation should respect the climatic conditions
by minimizing heat gain and considering the impact of shade on adjacent
land uses and areas. Buildings should maximize public comfort by provid-
ing shaded public outdoor areas, minimizing glare, and facilitating breezes.
Building exposures subject to solar intensity, should minimize the use of
glass and provide landscaping and architectural surface relief to reduce
heat gain on the building itself.
Buildings should be oriented to allow for the use of common driveways,
especially along arterial streets, where a reduction in the number of curb
openings will enhance the streetscape and promote traffic safety.
Service areas (loading docks, refuse collection areas and similar facilities)
which could be sources of odor, noise and smoke, or could be visually
objectionable, should not be located in highly traveled areas.
Remote outdoor ordering systems, used in conjunction with fast food
restaurants and similar retail uses offering a drive through service, shall be
located a minimum of 100 feet from any residential property areas. Such
speaker systems shall also be designed to direct the sound away from resi-
dential properties. Other noise producing businesses, such as automo-
tive repair facilities, shall be designed so that the entrance to the service
bays and other areas where the noise is produced, are oriented away from
residential properties.
Buildings should be oriented so that the entrances are clearly identifiable
and directly accessible from a sidewalk. Buildings should be accessible for
pedestrians and public transit users, not just for people driving private
automobiles.
On commercial sites, especially large retail centers, a portion of the total
building area should be located near the street perimeter. Such siting rein-
forces the streetscape and helps to provide additional screening for large
parking areas. Where large numbers of parking spaces are required, park-
ing structures with decorative sidewalls are encouraged.

Pedestrian Circulation
The site plan should clearly express the separation between pedestrian
and vehicular traffic. Clearly defined buffers enhance the attractiveness
of the streetscape and promote pedestrian safety. In developments where
substantial traffic volumes occur on certain stretches of on-site drives, a
sidewalk may be necessary to separate pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
Pedestrian circulation layout on any development site should take into
account all off-site generators of pedestrian movement, such as open spaces,
schools, retail centers, bus stops, etc.
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Surface accent strips of brick or textured paving to define pedestrian walk-
ways should be utilized. Pavement intended for pedestrian traffic shall be
stable, firm and skid resistant and shall not have an irregular surface that is
uncomfortable or dangerous to walk on.
Provisions for access for disabled persons must be incorporated into the
overall pedestrian circulation system. The overall design shall be in com-
pliance with the most current disability access laws, in particular the Ameri-
cans with Disabilities Act.
Sidewalks and plazas should be made comfortable for use by pedestrians
through the use of landscaping, overhangs and canopies in order to pro-
vide shade and non-heat absorbing materials.

Public Amenities
Comfortable and attractive street furniture that is accessible to the physi-
cally disabled should be provided in public spaces for public enjoyment
and comfort. Street furniture may include seating and tables, drinking
fountains, trash receptacles, information kiosks, and directories. These
types of pedestrian amenities help to encourage the use of public space.
Where the development is located on an established bus route, bus turn-
outs and shelters should be incorporated in the site design.
All site amenities should be accessible to the physically disabled. All fa-
cilities should be usable by everyone.

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Design Standards
Exterior Features

Urban Design Guidelines & Standards Emergency Access


All developments shall provide emergency access as required by the De-
partment of Fire Services. Fire apparatus access shall be in accordance with
the Uniform Fire Code as adopted by the City. Such standards include the
following:
• The unobstructed width of a fire apparatus access road shall not be
less than twenty feet.
• Fire apparatus access roads shall have an unobstructed vertical clear-
ance of thirteen feet six inches.
• The turning radius of fire apparatus roads shall be as follows: forty-
five feet outside radius and twenty-two feet inside radius.
• Fire apparatus roads shall be asphalt or concrete and shall be designed
to support the imposed loads of a forty thousand pound vehicle. Curb
cuts and/or driveway approaches are required for all required fire ac-
cess roadways.
• In accordance with Public Works standards, all dead end fire appara-
tus access roads and/or fire lanes, public or private, in excess of 150
feet in length shall be provided with a turnaround area.
• Two remote means of fire apparatus access may be required when the
Department of Fire Services determines that a single access could be
impaired.
• The location of emergency access gates shall be subject to the approval
of the Department of Fire Services. Emergency gates shall be designed
in accordance with the City’s adopted emergency access gate design.

Fire Protection System


A fully operational fire protection system, including fire apparatus roads,
fire hydrants and water supply, shall be installed and functioning prior to
construction of any combustible structures, as required by the Depart-
ment of Fire Services.
Fire hydrant markers shall be placed at each fire hydrant as required by
the Department of Fire Services.

Maximum spacing between fire hydrants shall be:

No Sprinklers Sprinklers
PLANNING & Residential Structures 500 Feet 600 Feet
DEVELOPMENT
Commercial and
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Controlled Access Security Gates
Controlled access security gates are allowed on private streets, but such
gates shall not impede fire or emergency access. Gate access must be in
accordance with the Fire Services standard for vehicle detection/access
systems. Emergency access codes must be provided to Fire Services and
the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Security gates systems,
including guard shelters, shall be set back to provide sufficient queuing
area for a minimum of three regular sized vehicles entering the develop-
ment. Uniform Standard Drawing No. 222A provides appropriate drive-
way geometry at security gates.

Refuse Storage
All trash receptacles should be of sufficient size and number to accom-
modate the trash generated.
All exterior trash receptacles in commercial, multi-family, or industrial
zoning districts should be screened from public view on three sides; and,
on the fourth side, by a gate which also screens the receptacles from view.
The gate shall be maintained in good working order and should remain
closed except when in use. The screening should be decorative and archi-
tecturally compatible with the surrounding structures. Landscaping should
be used to soften and screen the enclosure. The location should be con-
veniently accessible for trash collection and maintenance but set back
sufficiently from property lines to minimize disturbing neighbors. Trash
enclosures shall be located behind the building setback line when adja-
cent to any single family lot. In no case shall a trash enclosure be located
closer than 50 feet to a residential property line.

Fences and Walls


See the City’s “Landscape, Wall and Buffer Standards” for more details.

Lighting
Security lighting should be provided to help ensure a safe environment.
Parking lots should be designed with lighting to provide a minimum of
two foot-candles of light at ground level. The public areas and sidewalks
should be designed to provide a minimum average of one foot-candle of
light at ground level.
Exterior lighting should be designed to coordinate with the building
architecture and landscaping. Building-mounted fixtures should be com-
patible with the building facades. Overall lighting levels should be con-
sistent with the character and intensity of existing lighting in the area
surrounding the project site.
Security and parking lot lights, and lighting for signs shall be shielded
or otherwise designed to ensure that light is directed downward and not
onto adjacent properties.
The type of light source used should be consistent throughout a project.
Lamps and light fixtures under carports and/or other partially open park-
ing areas should be designed to prevent glare. All lamps in these areas
should have lenses to diffuse the light. Lighting within parking garages Mar.
should be designed to avoid external views of long expanses of exposed
fluorescent light tubes.
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Parking lot and security lighting should not exceed a maximum of 15 feet
in height, including lamp, pole, and base within 50 feet of a residential
district. Parking lot and security lighting should not exceed a maximum of
25 feet in height adjacent to nonresidential districts. The height of light
standards at the perimeter of the site should respect adjacent property.

Sewer System
A “private sanitary sewer system” is defined as any element of a sewage
collection system prior to discharge into any collection facility owned and
maintained by the City of Las Vegas, and may consist of such items as
laterals, clean-outs, grease traps, and combined collection drains. Unless
otherwise noted below, private sanitary sewer systems shall be designed in
accordance with the latest edition of the Southern Nevada “Design and
Construction Standards for Wastewater Collection Systems” or the Uni-
form Plumbing Code. However, any system or portion of a system that is
designed by the requirements of the Design and Construction Standards
shall not be allowed to discharge into elements of a system that is de-
signed by the requirements of the Uniform Plumbing Code.
Private sanitary systems in private streets, and systems requiring sewer
line sizes 8 inches and larger, shall be designed in accordance with the
requirements of the Design and Construction Standards for Wastewater
Collection Systems. Private sanitary sewer systems which are located in
parking lots or landscaped areas, and systems requiring sewer line sizes 6
inches and smaller, may be designed in accordance with the requirements
of the Uniform Plumbing Code. Plans, details, and specifications shall be
submitted with the plumbing development plans for approval by the De-
partment of Planning and Development.

Site Grading
Sites should be designed to minimize erosion. Steep slopes, generally 3 :
1 or greater, should be stabilized with vegetation, rock or other measures.

Drainage
Building pads and developed property shall be elevated sufficiently to
provide a positive drainage gradient toward the approved drainageways or
drainage improvements. A drainage improvement shall have a minimum
drainage gradient of one half of one percent unless otherwise approved by
the Department of Public Works. A Technical Drainage Study, as out-
lined in the Clark County Regional Flood Control District Hydrologic
Criteria and Drainage Design Manual, will be required for projects over
two acres in size (including streets), areas within FEMA A flood zones,
and areas in drainageways or prone to flooding.
Discharge from developing parcels should mimic historical drainage pat-
terns and shall conform to the “Uniform Regulations for the Control of
Drainage”. Overland flow should generally be conveyed through the site
every 660 feet to minimize the impact to adjacent property owners. Where
offsite grading is required or changes in drainage patterns significantly
affect adjacent property owners, notarized letters will be required. When
developing adjacent to regional flood control facilities or within a FEMA Mar.
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A flood zone, Clark County Regional Flood Control District concur-
rence will be required. It is the City’s policy to approve projects only if
they can be removed from FEMA A flood zones. Drainage on the on-site
private roadways shall be as required by the Department of Public Works.
All on-site private roadways shall drain to either a storm sewer, a
drainageway, or to a public street.
Whenever possible, on-site drainage retention should be integrated with
the overall landscaping design. Integrating drainage retention with the
landscape design can provide for more efficient use of water.
The owner is encouraged to review the project requirements with City
Flood Control staff to determine available information relating to the
project prior to start of design. Many neighborhood studies have been
prepared that may assist the project engineer in the hydrologic analysis.

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Design Standards
Building Design, Architecture

Urban Design Guidelines & Standards In general, no rigid design themes are established in Las Vegas, but is de-
sirable that there be some compatibility of scale, color, materials, or de-
sign motifs that will allow a project to blend into its setting. Selection of
roof materials and color palettes can often be crucial in determining if a
project fits the context of the area. However, some special districts within
the city may have specific design standards.

Scale
Scale relationships must be carefully considered, and appropriate transi-
tions provided where a change of scale is proposed or required. Stair-
stepping building height, breaking up the mass of the building and shift-
ing building placement can help mitigate the impact of differing building
scales and intensities.
A proposed commercial or industrial building should also respect the scale
of any adjacent residential buildings, and, where desirable, provide an or-
derly transition to the different scale of development. For example, the
actual height and bulk of a two-story office building is usually greater
than that of a two-story residence. These buildings will not normally be
compatible in close proximity unless they are separated by distance, ar-
ticulated elevation, or a landscape buffer/screen.
Buildings that are significantly taller, more brightly colored, or which oth-
erwise differ in scale from their neighbors may be acceptable but they will
require justification by the designer.

Rhythm
Building rhythm relates to the horizontal and vertical patterns expressed
by architectural features such as cornices, columns, windows, doors, or
variations in massing. New developments should respect rhythms estab-
lished by adjacent buildings. Designers should employ several related
rhythms to avoid repetition of one, or very few elements throughout the
building. Examples of building rhythm include horizontal and vertical
banding with different colors or materials, groupings of windows, regular
or repetition of storefront details, or consistent sign design and place-
ment.
In townhouse and multi-family projects, repetitive floor plans should be
alternately reversed and exterior elevations, roof planes, and exterior ap-
purtenances should be varied to avoid monotony.

PLANNING &
DEVELOPMENT Building Facade
External details in building facades, entries, stairways, retaining walls and
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ings. New developments should incorporate the use of strong vertical
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surface planes to create shadow lines and break up flat surface areas. If
large blank surfaces are proposed, they should be for some compelling
design purpose, and the design should incorporate mitigating features to
enrich the appearance of the project and provide a sense of human scale at
the ground level that is inviting to the public.
Rear building elevations, especially those facing adjoining residential ar-
eas should be aesthetically enhanced with materials to match the front of
the building. Exterior side yard setback areas (i. e., along side streets) and
building elevations along these setbacks should be treated with the same
quality of design and materials as the front setback area and front building
elevations.
Roofing materials should be tile or other hard surface, durable materials.
The use of asphalt shingles is discouraged.

Colors and Materials


Materials and colors in the area of the project should be considered when
selecting the materials and colors used in the proposed project. Materials
and colors can unify an area through the use of a clearly defined palette.
Colors and materials should be selected for compatibility with the site, as
well as compatibility with the neighboring area.
Consider selecting materials and colors that are compatible with the desert
environment and help to reduce reflected heat and glare into exterior pub-
lic areas. In a curtain wall application, glass should have a reflectivity of 20
percent or less. The use of reflective glass as a complete exterior surface is
discouraged because of the great increase in reflected glare and heat.
All sides of a structure should exhibit design continuity. There should be
no unimproved side to a structure. For instance, a mansard roof should be
carried around all sides of the building, not just along the front.

Windows and Door Placement


Buildings and windows should be located to maximize the possibility of
occupant surveillance of entryways, recreation and laundry areas.
Children’s play areas should be sited to allow for clear parental monitor-
ing.
Relentless grids of repeated windows should be avoided. The patterns
created by the window and door placement can help add variety and inter-
est to the design.

Screening
All rooftop air conditioning and heating equipment must be screened from
view in multi-family and commercial developments. Soft water tanks, gas
meters, and electrical meters should also be screened from public view
wherever possible. All screening shall be architecturally compatible with
the primary structure. The screening should be part of the articulation of
the building and not appear to be an afterthought. Sound attenuation to
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Design Standards
Parking & Traffic Circulation

Urban Design Guidelines & Standards On-Site Private Roadways


Local access drives are minor-level private roadways with a minimum width
of twenty-four feet (24’) of pavement that provide access to a limited num-
ber of individual dwelling units and their respective garage units, drive-
ways or parking spaces. Local access drives typically are dead-ended and
normally do not provide access to more than ten units. Garage and park-
ing spaces may be located immediately adjacent to the local access drive.
Parking is not permitted on a local access drive. Such drives shall intersect
public streets in accordance with commercial driveway standards accept-
able to the Department of Public Works. The intersection of private drives
on-site shall be in accordance with the radii requirements of the Depart-
ment of Fire Services. Curbing adjacent to access drives is not manda-
tory; under circumstances approved by the Department of Public Works,
an inverted cross-section with a four foot (4’) concrete gutter may be
allowed to control drainage.
Collector access drives provide the main circulation network within a de-
velopment and must be of sufficient width to accommodate traffic and
any parallel “on-drive” parking spaces. Parking spaces perpendicular to
the collector drives may be located immediately adjacent to the collector
access drives as long as no sight visibility restrictions occur. Garage units
may have direct access to the collector access drive as long as a driveway,
meeting current parking space depth standards, is provided between the
face of the garage door and the edge of the collector access drive.
Private streets normally occur in single family developments where the
homes are located on individually owned lots and the street and any com-
mon landscaped open space areas are held in common. Where such streets
function the same as would a local “public” street, the private streets shall
be constructed to meet current City Standards. Private streets shall have a
minimum of thirty-six (36) lineal feet of driving surface and shall incor-
porate an “L” type or rolled curb and gutter unless otherwise approved by
the Department of Public Works. Garage units may have direct access to
the private street as long as a driveway, meeting current parking space
depth standards, is provided between the face of the garage door and the
edge of the private street. Curb returns shall be incorporated in the design
of the intersections of connecting private streets and public streets.
All private roadways are subject to the requirements of the Las Vegas Mu-
nicipal Code which provides requirements for the naming of streets and
the assignment of addresses. Street name signs shall clearly identify the
private nature of the street and shall be sized in accordance with the Uni-
form Standard Drawings for Public Works Construction.

PLANNING & No private street may be constructed as the direct linkage between two
DEVELOPMENT public streets except where approved by the Department of Public Works.
A traffic study acceptable to the Department of Public Works must be
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On-Site Private Sidewalks
Sidewalks are not required along private roadways within a controlled
access residential community except where necessary to provide access
between occupied areas and a common area. However, handicapped ac-
cess must be incorporated in all required access pathways.
In developments where substantial traffic volumes occur on certain
stretches on on-site drives (such as where the main drives connect to the
abutting public streets), a sidewalk may be necessary to separate pedes-
trian and vehicular movements. Sidewalks should be articulated with deco-
rative materials such as brick, colored or textured concrete or accent strips.

Minimum Access Requirements


The minimum number of required entrances into any residential devel-
opment shall be as follows:
• When there are less than fifty (50) units in the development, one
active entrance is required.
• When there are from fifty (50) to ninety-nine (99) units, two (2)
active entrances or one (1) active and one (1) emergency entrance
will be required.
• When there are one hundred (100) or more dwelling units, a mini-
mum of two (2) active entrances shall be required. However, when
the development will contain one hundred (100) to one hundred
ninety-nine (199) dwelling units and the developer proposes to pro-
vide a single active entrance, an Access Drive Analysis Report shall
be provided to the City’s Traffic Engineering Division which specifi-
cally addresses the adequacy of a single active entrance. If the criteria
for testing adequacy meets or exceeds level of service “C” for the
roadway and its intersection with the collector roadway, then one (1)
active entrance and one (1) additional emergency entrance may be
acceptable.

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Design Standards
Parking & Traffic Circulation

Urban Design Guidelines & Standards Driveway Design Criteria


This section provides minimum and desirable design criteria, provisions
and requirements for safe and convenient access to abutting private prop-
erty along streets and highways. The intent is to assure that access is
provided to abutting private property with a minimum of interference with
free and safe movement of vehicular traffic, and to prevent traffic conges-
tion arising from vehicular entry to or exit from abutting private prop-
erty. The right of the public to free and unhampered passage on public
streets shall be paramount to other interests. Regulated limitation of ac-
cess is necessary on major roadways in order to enhance their primary
function of mobility. Conversely, the primary function of local roads and
streets is to provide access.
The angle of the driveway approach shall be approximately 90 degrees
for two-way driveways and 45 to 90 degrees for one-way driveways.
Unless approved by the Department of Public Works, one-way drive-
ways shall be prohibited on two-way undivided streets. In addition, one-
way driveways are limited to developments where two-way access is un-
feasible because of special design considerations, such as severe site con-
straints, the need for circular drop-offs or other circumstances where one-
way circulation may be preferred to two-way access. Examples of such
developments include public and private schools, day care facilities, car
wash facilities and existing developments or small sites where two-way
circulation is impractical.
Where one-way access is proposed, development shall be designed to pre-
vent conflicts with traffic access, parking and on-site circulation. Prior-
ity, however, shall be directed towards reducing the number of driveway
approaches along roadways with ROW greater than sixty feet (60’) in or-
der to limit conflict points and enhance traffic flows along such roadways.
All divided entry driveways, where the one-way roadways are separated
by more than fifteen feet (15’) (measured from edge to edge), must be
signed for one-way operation.
Areas used as motor vehicle service stations or parking lots shall have a
six inch (6”) raised curb at the property line along the entire street front-
age except at the driveway approaches and access sidewalks.
There are two types of driveways:
• TYPE 1 - A concrete driveway approach designed and intended to
serve as access from a roadway to a lot or parcel of land which is a
location for a one (1) or two (2) family residence. Standard drawing
No. 222 provides appropriate geometry for Type 1 driveways (also
known as “dust pan” driveways).
PLANNING &
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Except where Type 1 driveways are appropriate, head-in/back-up parking
is prohibited on all streets except with the approval of Department of
Public Works.
All driveways must be constructed within the street frontage of the sub-
ject property, as determined by extending the side property lines to the
curb line. Neither the driveway nor the curb returns shall overlap adja-
cent property frontage without written approval from the adjacent prop-
erty owner or a written waiver from the Director of Public Works.
Common, or shared, driveways may be approved provided that a perma-
nent written access easement is executed.
Type 2 driveways may not exceed 65 percent of the roadway frontage.
All Type 2 driveways on undivided arterial streets shall be designed to
align with opposing streets or driveways or be offset by a minimum of 120
feet (measured from edge to edge).
All Type 2 driveways on divided streets shall be designed to align with
median breaks or be offset by a minimum of 100 feet (measured from
nose of the median to the nearest edge of the driveway).
Alignment of driveways with opposing streets is discouraged for signal-
ized intersections unless approved by the Department of Public Works.
When approved, the driveway approach must be constructed in conform-
ance with Standard Drawing No. 222A, and the width must be increased
to match the opposing street.
Access drives used for a drive-through bank or parking garage may have
driveway approaches as approved by the Department of Public Works.
These approaches shall be used for drive-in facilities only, and shall not be
used for angle or head-in parking.
It is desirable to minimize the number of driveways on an arterial street
in order to reduce the number of conflict points and facilitate traffic flow.
The dimensions for minimum spacing,shown in Figure 1, should be in-
creased whenever possible so that the number of driveways can be reduced.
It is recognized, however, that certain existing tracts may not be able to
fully comply with these standards due to limited frontage or other con-
straints. When compliance with the criteria is precluded due to the loca-
tion of driveways on adjoining properties, attempts should be made to
obtain alternative access where feasible, including joint access driveways,
access easements to adjoining properties or access to intersecting streets.
Commercial subdivisions which will result in multiple building sites must
provide a master driveway plan in order to ensure shared access from
parking areas to the street.
The throat lengths for Type 2 driveways may be reduced, if approved by
the Department of Public Works, after considering the following factors:
• Physical constraints on the site, such as existing structures;
• The impact upon on-site circulation;
• Shallow lot depths or unusual lot configurations;
• Traffic volumes and classification on the driveway and intersecting
street;
Mar.
• Alternatives to the proposed design;
‘97
Figure 1
Typical Intersection Access

500’ 250’ 250’


250’ 250’ 250’ 250’

250’
Internal Street Access

500’
250’
Internal
250’

(shared)
Access

500’
250’

Legend:
Major (full) Access Minor Access Limited Access Internal Access Street
(Rt. In/Out only) (Rt. In only)

• Other information presented by the applicant; and


• For existing sites, the extent of redevelopment proposed.
For building sites that face on any road right-of-way between 80 to 100
feet in width, a right turn deceleration lane will be necessary for any
driveway that will serve a parking lot with 300 or more parking spaces. In
addition, fast food facilities and other high traffic land uses may also be
required to provide right turn lanes.
The driveway profile should be designed in accordance with the Uniform
Standard Drawings for Public Works Construction Off-Site, Clark County ,
Nevada. The standards are intended to limit abrupt changes in grades,
eliminate the need for extremely low speeds, and provide adequate vehicle
clearance.
Bus pull-outs must conform to the Uniform Standard Drawings for Pub-
lic Works Construction Off-Site, Clark County , Nevada.
Channelized islands for limiting movements into or out of driveways and
which are located in the public right-of-way may be utilized, provided
that the applicant establishes a maintenance agreement with the City.
Existing driveways may be required to conform with the standards in this
policy, including closing driveways or constructing curbs where appropri-
ate, as a condition of the approval of an application for zoning, rezoning
or site plan approval. In implementing a change in existing driveways, the
Department of Public Works may consider to any one of the following
factors: Mar.
‘97
• The impact of the driveway closure upon on-site circulation;
• The extent to which the existing driveways deviate from the City
standards;
• The extent to which the present driveways would allow existing or
potential traffic movements which are unsafe or which have an ad-
verse effect on traffic operations;
• The physical or economic feasibility of strict compliance with the
standards in this policy due to the presence of curb inlets, utility poles,
topographical constraints or similar circumstances; and
• Any additional information that the applicant may submit.

Mar.
‘97
Design Standards
Parking & Traffic Circulation

Urban Design Guidelines & Standards Surface Parking Design


The principal design objective for any off-street parking facility is the
provision of safe customer service and convenience coupled with minimal
interference to street traffic flow. The City’s “Landscape, Wall and Buffer
Standards” provides standards for parking lot landscaping and layout.
The following supplemental guidelines have been developed as an aid in
designing parking facilities in conformance with accepted principles of
traffic engineering and safety. These guidelines and principles will be rou-
tinely applied during the site development plan review process. The De-
partment of Public Works may allow deviations from these standards if
there is sufficient justification to use alternative designs. Such reasons
will generally be limited to severe environmental or topographical con-
straints associated with a specific site or to questions of traffic safety unique
to a specific site that are not adequately addressed by the guidelines.
Parking areas should be buffered from adjacent residential properties.
Access drives, internal circulation drives, parking areas, and pedestrian
walkways should be designed to provide safety and convenience for both
motorist and pedestrians and to insure access for the physically disabled.
Surface parking design should utilize shared access drives with adjacent,
similarly zoned properties to reduce interference with pedestrians. The
number of curb cuts should be minimized and pedestrian access enhanced.
Pavement materials should be chosen to minimize reflected light and glare.
Generally, commercial parking lots will not be permitted to access local
or collector streets if adequate access is available to major streets. Non-
residential traffic on local streets should be minimized and directed away
from neighborhoods.
Textures, patterns and colors are encouraged in the design of paved park-
ing areas or entries. Large monolithic areas of single-color untextured
paving are discouraged. Colored and textured paving of project entry drives,
and parking court entries are encouraged to soften the streetscape.
Specific needs for business exposure or residential amenity may require
parking oriented to the street. In such cases, the landscape plan should
provide for screening of cars from view and trees to shade the parking area.
Standards shall not be compromised in order to achieve a greater num-
ber of parking spaces. All parking facilities shall be designed and con-
structed in accordance with the dimensions provided in Chapter 19.10 -
“Parking, Loading and Traffic Standards” of the Las Vegas Municipal Code.
Large parking lots should be functionally divided by internal circulation
corridors or aisles into several smaller lots to prevent random or high speed
PLANNING & movements. The maximum number of spaces within such a sub-lot shall
DEVELOPMENT be 400 spaces, with 300 or less being desirable.
LAS VEGAS
O F

xxxxx"

xx"

xxx"

xxxxxx"
C I T Y

xxx"
xxxxxx"
xxx"

Deve l o p m e n t
Services Center
End aisles should be used to delineate primary traffic aisles. Concrete or
landscaped islands in lieu of painted areas shall be provided in order to
prevent vehicles from parking in such areas and thereby obstructing sight
distance triangles and eliminating maneuvering room on turns. End is-
lands are not provided in order to “protect” the end vehicle of a bay from
turning vehicles, but rather to provide a definitive end to the bay.
Parking is discouraged along entrance drives, especially on the inbound
direction side and adjacent to major circulation aisles of large develop-
ments and retail centers.
Where angle parking is used, the angle and design of parking spaces and
aisles shall be relatively consistent throughout a unified development. One-
way angled parking aisles shall be designed to alternate the direction for
adjacent aisles. Proper signs and markings shall be required to reinforce
traffic circulation and flow.
Each parking space shall be independently accessible and have a vertical
clearance of not less than 7.5 feet.
Each parking and loading space shall have adequate drives, aisles and turn-
ing and maneuvering areas for access and usability. No parking stall shall
be designed to require or allow backing into a public right-of-way.
Parking spaces should be located in such a manner as to be convenient to
the uses which they serve. No more than ten (10) percent of all the re-
quired spaces should be located in the service areas at the rear of the shop-
ping centers and in other locations with poor pedestrian access to the build-
ing entrances.
Signs and curb markings may be required to indicate “No Parking - Fire
Lane”. Access aisles should be designed with an appropriate 25 foot in-
side turning radius and a 50 foot outside turning radius at turns to ac-
commodate operational fire division apparatus.
Parking and loading facilities shall be surfaced and maintained with as-
phaltic concrete, portland cement concrete or other permanent hard sur-
facing material sufficient to prevent mud, dust, loose material and other
nuisances. Materials may be pervious.
Safety barriers, fencing, wheel stops or curbing or other restrictive bar-
riers and directional markers may be provided to assure safety, efficient
utilization, protection to landscaping and to prevent encroachment onto
adjacent public or private property.
Visibility should be maximized for vehicles entering individual parking
spaces, circulating within a parking facility and entering and exiting a park-
ing facility.
Each parking space intended for use by the handicapped shall be designed
in accordance with the City and Federal Standards.
Queuing
Queuing spaces or queuing areas shall not interfere with parking spaces,
parking aisles, loading areas, internal circulation or driveway access.
Each queue space shall consist of a rectangular area not less than 10 feet
wide and 18.5 feet long with a vertical clearance of not less than 7.5 feet.
Queue spaces are not interchangeable with parking spaces. Mar.
A 12-foot wide by-pass lane may be required adjacent to queue lines to ‘97
allow vehicles an opportunity to circumvent the drive-through activity or
leave the queue and exit the site.
Although drive-through activities are not required to be completely sepa-
rated from activities on site, the queuing area should be designed to enable
the driver to readily identify and distinguish queuing areas from other
activities on site. It is strongly recommended that queues and service areas
be located to avoid conflicts with parking and circulation areas.

Internal Circulation
Parking and circulation aisles should be perpendicular to the entry faces
of buildings to minimize conflicting movements by pedestrians and ve-
hicles.
Parking along the curb line adjacent to building fronts should be dis-
couraged to provide for good pedestrian visibility. The designation of the
building front curb as a fire lane to aid in the enforcement of the parking
prohibition is encouraged.
The application of speed bumps and humps to reduce internal travel speeds
is discouraged for new construction. Properties and circulation aisles
should instead be configured to reduce speeds.
Continuous travelways adjacent to building fronts should be no more
than 400 feet in length to discourage high speeds and to reduce conflicting
pedestrian and vehicular movements.
Internal driveways or parking aisles shall intersect at angles of between
80 and 100 degrees, with 90 degrees being preferred. Internal driveways
or aisles that are intersected by crossing traffic shall either have their
centerlines aligned or offset by at least 60 feet.
Traffic squares or circles are generally discouraged. Squares or circles
may be allowed in low-traffic areas if designed to encourage one-way traf-
fic flow and if the number of intersecting driveways or aisles is minimized.
All semi-circular drop-off driveways shall be designed to operate in one
(1) direction only.
All internal circulation and queuing areas must be designed to accom-
modate the turning radii of the vehicles that will be using the site. The
critical design criteria are provided by the American Association for State
Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) for various design
vehicles according to their wheelbase.
The minimum width for an internal drive or circulation aisle with no
parking should be 24 feet for two-way traffic and 12 feet for one-way
traffic. A greater width, up to 25 feet for two-way traffic and 15 feet for
one-way traffic, may be required where traffic volumes are heavy or where
obstructions or circuitous alignment necessitates a wider drive for clear-
ance of turning vehicles. Department of Fire Services access criteria must
also be met.

Mar.
‘97
Parking Structure Design
Parking structures tend to be utilitarian in appearance. However, be-
cause of their size, they often become a major visual element of the site.
Parking structures should therefore be integrated with the form and ma-
terials of the primary site structures.
Lighting within the parking structure should provide safety and security
and be integrated into the architectural character both in terms of illumi-
nation and fixtures. Lighting must provide safety but not be offensive to
off-site uses.
Staging areas should be designed to accommodate the required queuing
within the site and not on the street. Staging must not interfere with street
movement or pedestrian circulation. An appropriate view angle and pe-
destrian crossing at exits and entrances should be provided in all parking
structures. Parking ingress and egress should not interfere with street move-
ment or pedestrian circulation.
There should be a convenient, clear, safe and efficient internal circula-
tion system within the parking structure for both vehicular and pedes-
trian traffic including appropriate signage and placement of pedestrian cir-
culation cores (elevators and stairs). Parking structures should provide
clarity, safety and be convenient for the user.

Mar.
‘97

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